On 1 April, Landfill Tax rose to £91.35 per tonne. The arrival of the tax 23 years ago introduced the concept of environmental taxation, and it has since been credited with an astounding move away from landfill as the default option.
Finally, the weather is set to take a turn for the better after what seems to be the longest winter I can remember. This change in season has made me think about how health & safety emphasis changes throughout the year from Bonfire ‘best practice’ issued in October to ‘safety advice’ recently issued by the HSE regarding Bouncy Castles. Every industry has hidden risks and the potential for accident, injury and even death and we need to prepare well for what might lie around the corner, this is illustrated today quite starkly, as I write this Notre Dame is burning …
Well, we are now 43 days in and that means 70% of the way through the consultation period. As I am sure it has been with all of you, work here has been furious and unrelenting, although it does feel a bit like the end might be in sight. That said the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee then decide now is a good time to chuck in a call for evidence on the impact to local authorities of the Resources and Waste Strategy.
Using statistical equivalents in communications is a good means of motivation providing they’re relevant and up-to-date. A consequence of the reduction in public outreach over the past few years has been that changes to these statistics has gone largely unnoticed by both the public and many of those in Local Authorities responsible for communications. Behaviour Change Expert, Stephen Bates from EnviroComms considers the impacts of this and the opportunities of statistical messaging.
As I write this it’s exactly 6 weeks, or halfway, into the Resources and Waste Strategy consultations period, and we have just completed the five LARAC workshops. The workshops were a two way process in order to gain members’ views as well as provide more information to help you respond.